Algeria Launches Ruthless Attack To End Hostage Standoff

Algeria has gone guns blazing into the oil field raided by Al-Qaeda militants yesterday.

Earlier several Western hostages were killed by an Algerian helicopter strike.

A British security source told CBS News “the Algerians were firing from helicopters at anything that moved.”

A UK Government official told BBC that a “proactive Algerian military operation to free the hostages is under way” after Algeria reportedly turned down UK assistance by starting the operation without informing the Brits. (The U.S. also offered military assistance but the Algerian government refused, The Associated Press reports.)